Finally, the day of the crucial part of the mission arrived. In the evening, Cian, Drayce, and An departed from the pce of Othinia in disguise, apanied by their knights. In the forest, midway to their destination, members of An''s dark forces joined them, led by Alex himself. Cian''s trusted spies and men working for him in Othinia were also part of the group.


    Cian rode alongside his men, while Drayce and An remained together.


    "Your brother-inw is quite remarkable, Dray," An remarked.


    "What makes you say that?" Drayce inquired, not surprised by An''s observation.


    "He possesses a formidablework in this foreign kingdom. He can acquire any information and, if the need arises, he could sway the course of this kingdom''s rule with his secrets and allies. I wonder if his influence extends beyond Othinia into our own kingdoms as well. This Prince of Abetha is not to be underestimated," Anmented.


    Drayce chuckled. "He is indeed far more capable than he lets on. King Armen kept him away from the capital, and all he did was serve in the military from a young age. The knowledge and connections he amassed during that time are beyond imagination. If he ever decides to fulfill Queen Niobe''s dream of seeing him as the emperor of this continent, he''s already on the path."


    "Do you think he will?" An asked. "I have no desire for bloodshed, nor do I wish to see him as my enemy."


    "It doesn''t appear that he shares Queen Niobe''s ambitions. But he has ensured that he is nevercking in power, should one of us or Samer Vailes attempt to seize control of the continent. It seems Prince Cian was greatly rmed by Samer''s attempts to conquer the central part of the continent. As long as Prince Cian stands, Samer can only dream of taking over Abetha.


    It might even result in Abetha dominating Thevailes instead. King Armen himself may not be aware of the man he has shaped his son into by keeping him away," Drayce remarked.


    "Alex mentioned something intriguing happening with Prince Cian recently," An added.


    Drayce nodded, just as one of the knights informed them, "We are approaching."


    As they slowed their horses to a halt, everyone became alert as they approached the ntation. Leaving their horses behind, they gathered in the darkness to n their sneak attack. One by one, they silently took down the guards of the ntations under the cover of night.


    However, their task was not without difficulty, as the enemies soon became aware of their presence, and both sides engaged inbat.


    After oveing the toughest obstacles, An and Drayce remained behind, allowing others to handle the ongoing battle.


    "I don''t want their souls to feel unjust in death, thinking they perished fighting against a dragon," An remarked, as he and Drayce ascended the stairs of a security post to observe the ongoing fight below, including Prince Cian''s involvement.


    "Let''s enjoy watching my brother-inw''s skills," Draycemented.


    "Isn''t he utilizing the dual-sword ancient Othinian style?" An observed.


    "Given that he''s Queen Niobe''s son, it''s quite obvious," Drayce replied.


    "Indeed. If anything that makes him different from us, is that he is a human. Or he was a tough fight against us."


    Drayce noticed something and pointed it out, "Seems like someone else is eager to join the fray."


    An watched as a new group of individuals entered the vast ntation field, "Isn''t that the mysterious group Prince Cian has been tracking?"


    "It appears so. Alex must have already briefed you on the details," Drayce remarked, observing the mysterious group aiding Cian.


    "Indeed. I did mention Alex informed me of something intriguing," An replied, his gaze fixed on the neers providing assistance to Cian.


    "Alex is indeed a valuable asset," Drayce acknowledged. "There''s little on this continent that he doesn''t know. He''s worthy of leading your dark forces."


    "Agree," An replied, his eyes fixed on the mysterious figure d from head to toe, utilizing the same dual-sword ancient Othinian technique as Cian. "She appears to be the leader."


    Drayce hummed in agreement, continuing to observe her closely.


    Meanwhile, amidst the chaos of the battle, Cian caught sight of the woman unmistakably and continued to dispatch enemies. As he witnessed her fighting alongside him, a thought consumed his mind: This woman was undeniably wless.


    After finally defeating all their foes, the mor around them ceased. Cian turned to Ayira, who spoke, "I am relieved I arrived in time."


    "How could you not, when you''ve been following my every move since I left the pce?" Cian remarked, not surprised by her presence but still allowing her to apany him.


    She was not surprised by knowing this Prince was aware of actions but he still let her follow him.


    "You provided me with the mission time. Why waste my time and resources attempting to locate it myself when I can simply follow you?" she chuckled as she removed her face covering, allowing herself to breathe more freely after the strenuous battle, and wiped the sweat from her forehead.


    Cian swallowed hard, his gaze fixated on her face, which appeared beautiful to him even in her sweaty and fatigued state. What was wrong with him, he couldn''t help but wonder.


    Once more, he heard her voice, "You challenged me to join the mission, and here I am."


    Cian couldn''t help but smile lightly at Ayira''s straightforwardness. He had intentionally informed her of the mission time, and she hadn''t disappointed him.


    Just then, two figures approached them. Ayira quickly covered her face upon noticing them. One had red eyes, and the other had blue. ''They didn''t see my face, did they?'' worry etched across her features. ''It''s nighttime. In the light of torches and the moon, they probably couldn''t see me, right?''


    Unbeknownst to Ayira, the two individuals she was concerned about were Dragons with keen sight, capable of easily discerning her face.


    Turning towards them, Cian addressed the pair, "Enjoyed the show?"


    "We couldn''t resist," An replied.


    Ayira caught sight of the red-eyed man''s face and felt her breath catch in her chest. ''The King of Megaris... he didn''t see me, did he?'' she fretted silently, stepping back and slowly slipping away to avoid detection.


    Cian noticed her departure but made no move to stop her.


    "Interesting," An remarked, observing the woman as she left.


    "As intriguing as your aide, Orian," Cian retorted, earning a re from An.


    Meanwhile, Drayce continued to watch Ayira, pondering, ''So the Princess of Othinia has another identity. Brave enough to oppose her own father. I wonder how Seren will react if she learns of this.''